Muggle Studies: Ron's Story
by Lily Michelle
Summary: Dumbledore makes Muggle Studies mandatory and the students receive several interesting assignments. Does Professor MacLachen know more than she lets on? Companion to Muggle Studies: Seamus' Story. RWHG
1. Professor MacLachen and the AmazingTenor

Disclaimer:  Not mine.  JK Rowling's.  There I said it.

Author's Note:  Ron and Hermione.  Sigh, is there a better ship?  I really don't think so.  Read it and tell me what you think of it.

**NOTE: This is a companion to Muggle Studies: Seamus' Story.  You will understand it better if you read both.  Sometimes Ron doesn't pay attention but Seamus does or vice versa.  You will have a cleared picture if you read both.**

Chapter 1: Professor MacLachen and the Amazing Tenor 

            "This is so stupid," Ron said sulkily.

            "Come on Ron, you know you don't think that," Harry comforted.

            "Yes, in fact I do.  Taking this Muggle Studies class is completely barmy.  What's the point in learning how to use a Muggle fellyvision," he moaned. 

            "The point is it's a television, Ron," Hermione said sounding frustrated.  "Weren't you listening to Professor Dumbledore yesterday?  He explained all the reasons."

            Ron looked at her like she'd sprouted another head. 

            "Of course I wasn't listening.  It was supper.  I was waiting for my food.  His first day speech is practically the same every year.  What's the point in listening?" he shrugged.

            "Well, it was obviously different this year, wasn't it?  And if you didn't listen then that's your fault, isn't it?" Hermione responded haughtily.

            "Are going to keep asking rhetorical questions all day? Or are you going to tell me what Dumbledore said?" Ron retorted.

            Harry answered quickly before their bickering grew into a real row.  

            "He said they wanted to, um, promote Muggle sympathy or something like that."

            "That's just wonderful," was Ron's sarcastic remark.  "I always thought Dumbledore was a little loopy but he really is all sixes and sevens, isn't he?"  He didn't really mean that, but Hermione seemed to think he did.

            "Ron!  That's a horrible thing to say.  Dumbledore is most certainly not crazy.  He's brilliant, in fact.  Promoting Muggle sympathy is very important.  By eliminating ignorance about Muggle situations and behaviour, we can eliminate much of the unfounded prejudice surrounding Muggle and Muggle-borns.  That is a good way to fight the war, you know.  Spread goodness and knowledge and you spread light, and if there's light the dark can't win, can it?"

            "No, professor McGonagall," Ron said, teasing her.

            "Come on guys, we're going to be late," Harry said, trying once more to divert catastrophe.

            "Humph," was all that Hermione said, as she walked into the classroom and took a seat beside Neville.  Ron and Harry took the seats behind her, and began to talk about the upcoming Quidditch season.  Lavender came in next, shortly followed by Parvati.  Seamus and Dean entered last and took the seats to Ron and Harry's left.  Seamus began whispering fiercely to Dean, who didn't seem to be very interested in what his Irish friend was saying.  All conversations stopped as Professor MacLachen started the class.

            She gave a brief introduction to the class and what they would learn in it.  Every time she said Muggle, Ron could see Draco Malfoy scowl.  Ron grinned.  It wouldn't be so bad taking Muggle Studies with the Malfoy if he knew that the Slytherin was having a worse time than Ron himself had in Potions.  

            The professor asked for those who had a lot of contact with Muggles to raise their hands.  Ron saw Hermione, Harry, Dean, Lavender, and Seamus put up their hands.  Hermione and Harry put their hands down when MacLachen asked who knew a lot of Muggle music.  Ron thought Hermione knew about everything.  Of course, he reasoned she'd probably been studying too much to get out much and she probably thought she'd do better reading than listening to music.  Ron suddenly realized he knew very little about Hermione's life outside of and before Hogwarts.  Like what did she do before she had gotten into Hogwarts?  She hadn't stayed home like he had.  She'd probably gone to school like Harry.  Why had he never asked her about it?  

            As he sat there listening to MacLachen talk to the class he thought about all the things he wanted to find out about Hermione the next time he got a chance.  What was her favourite song?  What was her favourite childhood memory?  What did she miss most about the Muggle world?  He was distracted from his thoughts only when he heard Seamus singing a Muggle song in a voice that sounded too high for the 5'5" Irishman.  Seamus' speaking voice was much lower than the voice that serenaded the class.  

            Ron was trying not to snicker even though he knew Seamus was singing very well.  He would so make fun of his roommate that night and by the look on Harry and Dean's faces they would as well.  Ron looked at Hermione's face as Seamus sang and he saw admiration and longing in her eyes.  He didn't think it was for Seamus himself because she had told him that she thought Seamus and Lavender made a cute couple.  Ron assumed the look on her face was because she wished that someone would sing as nicely to her as Seamus was to Lavender, though the blond didn't realize it.  Ron vowed he would learn to sing and when he learned Hermione's favourite song, he'd sing it for her.

Author's Note 2:  Well, how was it?  Sorry, what was that?  I can't hear you through the time/space difference.  Please press the review button and tell me that way.


	2. The Little Things

Author's Note:  Here's chapter two!  Hope you like it.  Special thanks goes out to Teentypist.  You're the only person to have reviewed so far.  Thanks for the encouragement if no one reviewed I wouldn't have posted more.  I agree the idea of Ron singing is a little funny, but I figure he might have hidden talents.  Or maybe he'll just suck when he does it.  You'll just have to keep reading to find out.

**NOTE: This is a companion to Muggle Studies: Seamus' Story. You will understand it better if you read both. Sometimes Ron doesn't pay attention but Seamus does or vice versa. You will have a cleared picture if you read both.**

Chapter 2: The Little Things 

            Ron's thought's stayed along these lines for the rest of class.  He tried to concentrate on Professor MacLachen's lecture but Hermione was right in front of him and it was difficult to keep his eyes from straying to the back of her head, and her profile.  He really wanted to pay attention so he wouldn't have to borrow her notes but she was too beautiful.  How could he keep his eyes on plain, old, Professor MacLachen when such a gorgeous slip of a girl was sitting right in front of him?  His other classes didn't go much better either.  Surprisingly, he was able to pay the most attention in Divination but only because Hermione wasn't in that class.  Goodness knows it wasn't Trelawny's doing.  

            Without fail, Ron ended up in the library with Hermione copying out her notes from the day.  Hermione, of course, was scolding him for his inattentiveness.  

            "Ron, I don't know how you expect to pass the exams if you don't even try to listen in class.  The professors said some important things, you know."

            "Hermione, I tried to listen.  Really, I did.  But I have a really short attention span and I get easily distracted.  It's not my fault."

            "Ron, this is exactly what I'm talking about.  You're a prefect.  You're supposed to be setting an example.  Instead you don't pay attention and you try to shift the blame onto someone else.  Try to be a little more responsible."

            "Okay, okay.  Lord, stop lecturing.  I'll try harder.  Is that enough?"

            "Ron, you're not taking me seriously. And I'm not lecturing.  I'm just trying to help."

            "I'm taking you seriously; as serious as a heart attack.  Don't you worry about me, Hermione.  I know your trying to help and I appreciate that.  I'm glad I have such a good friend."

            Hermione looked as if someone had just told her Harry and Malfoy had become best friends.  Ron Weasley never thanked anyone for their concern.  If you were lucky you got away with only an order to mind your own business, and only if you were lucky.  But here he was telling her he was happy she was "sticking her nose into his business", as he'd told her before.  

            Ron was pleased to see the first step of his plan to get to know Hermione better had in fact worked.  He had been nice to her so now she would open up.  Whether it would be from the fact that she would feel more comfortable or from pure shock he couldn't tell.  He'd just have to start asking questions and see if she talked.

             "Hermione, do you remember in Muggle Studies this morning when Professor MacLachen was talking about Muggle music?  Well, you're Muggle born, so you'll know something about Muggle music, right?"

            "Ron, where is this going?  I have other homework to do," Hermione said, sounding a little irritated that she couldn't get back to her work.

            "Well, the, er, songs that Seamus and Lavender sang sounded kind of, er, boring.  So I was wondering, is that what all Muggle music sounds like?"

             Hermione shook her head in kind way.  Like the way a mother shakes her head when her child asks an obvious question.

            "No, Ron.  That was just a type of music called Broadway music.  Broadway is like a play but with songs that the characters sing.  There are lots of other kinds of music.  Some of them are pretty good.  There's rock and roll, country, rap, pop, hip-hop, classical and a whole bunch of other kinds."

            "Why didn't you keep your hand up when she asked if you knew a lot about music?  You seem to know a lot to me," he asked.

            "I don't know a lot about it Ron.  I used to play some piano and sing a bit, but I spent more of my time reading and studying.  I never really got into the popular music scene," she said.

            Ron decided that he should get her talking fast before she lost interest and went back to her work so her went for the direct approach.

             "Hermione, what's your favourite song?"

            Her brow furrowed and she seemed a little thrown by the question.

            "My favourite song?  I, well, I, er, I'm not sure.  Let me think.  I really like "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias.  Yes, I'd have to say that's my favourite song."

            He nodded and made a mental note to learn it.

            "Okay, well tell me some other things about you."

            She gave him a strange look.  

            "What do you mean Ron?  You know lots of stuff about me," she said, a little bit confused.

            "You know, tell me about your Muggle life, before Hogwarts, in the summer, anything.  I don't know anything about your Muggle life, and I'd like to learn."

             Hermione looked a little suspicious at his sudden interest but she began to tell him about her life in the non-magic world.  She told him about how her parents had never had much time for her but had always tried to make it up with holidays and trips.  She'd been to Hong Kong, Australia, America, France, Italy, Spain and Russia.  She told him that though she really appreciated the trips, they never seemed to make up for the endless time alone.  That was one of the reasons she'd turned to books as a child.  In books you could always find a friend even when your parents were at their office and you were by yourself.  She told him how kids in her primary school had made fun of her because of her reading and her looks.  They called her bookworm, and know-it-all.

            "But Hermione," he said, "I call you that almost everyday."

            "Oh, it's different with you Ron," she said blushing slightly.  "When you call me things I know you don't really mean to be cruel.  You're just frustrated.  The kids called me names just to be cruel.  They just wanted to hurt my feelings."

            "Oh," he said.  "That's too bad Hermione.  But really it's their loss.  If they couldn't see what a great friend you are then they really didn't deserve you did they?" he added, as his ears turned the same colour as his hair.

            She smiled shyly at him.  "Thanks Ron."

            He blushed harder, not really knowing what to do now.  It was getting a little uncomfortable.  

             Searching for an easy way out, he scribbled the rest of the notes quickly and said,  "No problem, Hermione.  Well, I'm done with your notes, so I'm off to bed.  See you tomorrow."

            Then he got up and walked away before she could respond.  He made his way up to the dormitory and cursed himself for being so lame.  He leaned against the door and thought, _This is going to be harder than I thought_.

Author's Note 2:  So that was it.  Now review!  Please.


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